


(I could not believe) You were alright with everything

by icestar663



Series: More than just Cyborgs [1]
Category: EOS 10 (Podcast)
Genre: Cyborg!Akmazian, Fluff, M/M, brief angst, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-18 04:49:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7300252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icestar663/pseuds/icestar663
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I wouldn't wake y'all if I had any other choice but I... Ry, I've been shot.”<br/>Akmazian wakes Ryan in the middle of the night asking for his help. And they both have a couple of revelations</p>
            </blockquote>





	(I could not believe) You were alright with everything

**Author's Note:**

> The titles for this series are taken from Steam Powered Giraffe lyrics.
> 
> Electricity Is In My Soul - Steam Powered Giraffe

“Ryan...” Akmazian hissed, standing over the other man's bed. “R-Ryan... wake up.”

“Hmm? Wha-?” Ryan mumbled, shifting his position and blinking around in the darkness. “What's going on?”

“I'm sorry, darlin'. I wouldn't wake you but... but I need your help.”

“Akmazian?” Ryan sat up, dragging the covers around himself, “Can't it wait? What time is it?”

“0-300 hours.” Akmazian replied quietly, “I wouldn't wake y'all if I had any other choice but I... Ry, I've been shot.”

“What?” Ryan slapped on the lights, flinching against the sudden brightness, “And you didn't think to open with that fact? Where? What happened?”

“Business deal gone bad. I've just got back to the station and I can't exactly go to the infirmary.” Akmazian's face was pale, dark shadows under his eyes.

“Ditch the cloak,” Ryan instructed as he headed towards the bathroom, “Keep pressure on the wound.”

“Wh-Where are you going?” Akmazian moved to follow.

“Sit down. I keep a spare med kit in here. Though there are no painkillers so I'm going to need to call whoever is working tonight. Where were you shot? And what with?”

“Plasma rifle. Right shoulder. I ducked.” Akmazian said, slouching in Ryan's desk chair and gripping his shoulder tightly, “Ry-”

“You'll be fine.” Ryan interrupted. “I'm going to make sure that you're fine.”

“No, I just... y'all might want to put some pants on. As much as I'm enjoying the view.”

Ryan blushed but all he did was nod, “I was intending to.” He fetched the first aid kit and pulled on a pair of slacks before returning to Akmazian's side.

He carefully cut the other man's shirt off him before tending to the wound. Akmazian's shoulder was swollen, burnt and bloodied.

“Don't think badly of me.” Akmazian said softly.

“What for?” Ryan asked, absorbed in his task of cleaning the damaged flesh.

“I-I think... I think the plasma round did something to my circuitry...” Akmazian's voice lowered to barely a whisper, his gaze fixed on the ground, “I can't move that hand at all.”

Ryan observed him critically for a long moment, “Circuitry?”

Akmazian went even paler, visibly terrified, “I-I'm not... My forearm is... is cybernetic...”

“Okay” Ryan shrugged and went back to what he'd been doing, “I might have to ask Dr Urvidian for some guidance then. It's been a while since I dealt with cybernetics.”

“I don't want anyone else to know!” The panic in Akmazian's tone made Ryan tense up.

“Why not? There's nothing to be ashamed of. Cybernetics are perfectly normal. And 'cyborgs' as people call us are just people. Dr Urvidian isn't going to care.”

“He will. People do care. I grew up being told that cyborgs are lesser. That people like me don't deserve anythin'. And this was before it even happened to me... afterwards... it just got worse.”

“Akmazian...” Ryan finished bandaging his shoulder and gently took his hands, “Cyborgs aren't lesser people. Yes there are some colonies who don't understand us but that doesn't mean we don't deserve a real place as part of the Alliance. Nothing you say about it can change my mind about you.”

“You don't understand, Ry. How can you understand?”

“When I was eighteen I was... incredibly stupid. I visited continuum falls with my Academy swim team and... woke up two days later with a cybernetic spinal column. I had to fight for a lot of things after that. But most civilised places in Alliance space don't treat us any differently. Most of the time no one even knows unless we tell them.”

“Of course no one treated y'all different. You're Dr Ryan Dalias. Son of the great Admiral Dalias. No one would dare!! I grew up in a tiny outcast colony on Mars with my mom and sisters. Tiana worked damn hard to get out of there and join the Acadamy as a Xenozoologist. And she spent all her savings on my medical bills after my accident. My big sister gave up all the money she was saving for her own home to give me a life after I got hurt and I tried to repay her. But anyone I told about my cybernetic arm betrayed and ridiculed me. And that includes people in the Alliance. I was a cyborg from a little hick colony on Mars. Not worth their time. So y'all don't know shit about what it's really like!”

Ryan stared at him for a long moment before nodding once and standing up, “Stay here. I'm going to go find you some painkillers.” He said quietly, heading for the door.

“Ryan?” Akmazian called after him but Ryan ignored him. “Ry!”

“No.” Ryan spun around, “You've made it perfectly clear that I know nothing about the situation. That my privilege means I can't possibly understand what it was like growing up as you. And you're right, I don't know. But I am trying. I am trying to understand you and I'm trying to relate to you. And clearly I'm doing a shit job but I'm trying. So I'm going to shut up and do my job as _Dr_ Dalias and go get your meds so you can go get yourself shot at again!” He left, not giving Akmazian a chance to come up with a response.

 

A rumbling meow attracted Akmazian's attention. He looked around and smiled tiredly at the large grey cat that padded over to him and wound around his legs. “Hey, Morphy.” Akmazian said softly, awkwardly leaning over and scooping the cat up with his good arm and cuddling him close. “Why does your master have to be so hot headed, huh?”

Morpheus replied by meowing again and kneading his front paws into Akmazian's belly as he settled himself down to fall asleep.

“Yeah, that's what I thought,” Akmazian sighed, stroking the cat's ears gently. “At least you'll always accept me as I am.”

 

He continued to talk quietly to the cat, mostly to keep away the silence and calm himself down. He told Morpheus everything from what his most recent mission was about to how he really felt about Ryan. “He's stubborn as hell, Morphy, but I look at him and it's like... I want to protect him from everything that hurts him. And I know it's a hell of a lot more than he lets on. He says that cyborgs like us have proper rights but... he still doesn't tell people. I'll bet most of the people on this station have no idea. And not just because it's none of their business. And things are different for him, y'know. He's the kid of Admiral Dalias. His dad died trying to find justice for me and I've never been able to tell him how much that means to me. His dad never met me and in the end he gave up his life to try to protect me. Just because Ryan asked him to believe in us. And I don't think Ryan will ever love me like I love him. And god, that breaks my heart, Morph. I don't want him treating me different. I don't want him lookin' at me and feeling sorry for me.”

“I don't feel sorry for you.” Ryan's voice from the doorway made Akmazian jump, “And I won't treat you any differently. Nothing about how I feel towards you has changed.”

“How long have y'all been standing there?”

“Long enough.” Ryan replied, moving back over, “I've got your meds and a sling for you. The infirmary's busy right now so we'll have to wait until morning before someone can swing by and take a look at your circuits. For now if we put your arm in a sling and bind it to your chest at least it won't be painful or in your way.”

“Thanks, Ry...” Akmazian said quietly, looking away while Ryan administered the drugs and carefully bound his arm, leaning in closer to tie the sling around the back of his neck.

“You're welcome,” Ryan replied, his hands lingering at the base of Akmazian's skull. After a long moment he forced himself to pull away, “Why don't you get some rest. It's late and you've had a hard night.”

“Will you stay?” Akmazian asked, looking up at him. His gold eyes were wide and pleading, “Please stay, Ry.”

Ryan hesitated before nodding, “Sure. You get into the bed. I've got some paperwork to do.” He started to move away.

Akmazian grabbed his hand, “I'm sorry for what I said. I just don't want y'all treating me like... like I'm not worth nothin' to you... when you're worth so damn much to me.”

“You're angry and in pain. It's fine.” Ryan said, looking away so Akmazian couldn't see the uncertainty in his eyes.

“No it ain't. And I don't appreciate y'all lying to me. If I hurt y'all then tell me to my face.”

Ryan swallowed, “After I left hospital, I was already hooked on the pain meds. I lost... everything. My father spearheaded the first attempt of getting me into rehab but after the second time I fell off the wagon after that... he couldn't be bothered. My sister was the only person who stuck by me until... I met someone. And he was kind and caring and I trusted him. We dated for a while and when I told him about my transplant and my history, he couldn't leave fast enough. Just dropped me like I had never meant anything to him. I swore off guys entirely and I swore to myself that I would never let anyone hurt me like that again.”

“And then I yell at y'all because we've grown up in different lives and I assumed that you saying most people are okay with it means you've never been hurt.” Akmazian finished quietly.

“And I walk in on you telling my cat that you're in love with me.” Ryan added, still not looking at him. “Is that why you risked being exposed to find Morpheus for me?”

Akmazian nodded, “Yeah. I couldn't do much to help you, but I could at least do that.”

“You've always been there. When I've needed you, you're always around. And that really means a lot to me. You-” Ryan sniffed, “I told Dr Urvidian because I didn't have much choice. I told you because... I want to see our similarities and not focus on our differences like I did when we first met. I want to be close to you and understand you.”

“But I'm a guy. So there's no chance of you wanting anything more.” Akmazian's voice was soft and forcibly emotionless.

“That's the problem.” Ryan looked up and twisted his hand so their fingers entwined, “I do want more. And that terrifies me. And I can't believe we're having this conversation a couple of hours after you were shot.”

“I can't believe we're having this conversation at all,” Akmazian grinned, standing up slowly and ignoring the squawk of protest from Morpheus. He moved closer to Ryan.

“Mind your arm.” Ryan said quietly.

“I'm mindin',” Akmazian smirked as a thought occurred to him, “What would y'all do if I kissed you right now?”

“I'd think you'd gone totally out of your mind and wonder how much of it was the pain meds....” Ryan raised his eyebrows and grinned, “But I wouldn't stop you.”

“In that case...” Akmazian leaned in and softly brushed his lips against Ryan's, letting go of his hand in order to run his fingers up his arm to his shoulder, pulling him in closer as he felt Ryan respond. “Just as I thought,” he murmured.

“Shut up and go to sleep,” Ryan replied, lightly touching his forehead to Akmazian's.

“Only if you come to bed with me?”

“It's my bed! I don't think I have all that much choice.”

“I'll warn ya, I'm a snuggler.” Akmazian teased softly, planting a soft kiss on Ryan's nose before allowing himself to be guided into bed.

 

It took a while for the pair of them to get comfortable but eventually Akmazian was flat on his back and Ryan was curled up half on his front, his head resting on Akmazian's good shoulder. Akmazian curled his arm protectively around Ryan's waist as the pair of them drifted off into warm sleep, Morpheus claiming the space between their legs.

 


End file.
